State Law

Federal Law

Title IX and Sexual Harassment/Assault

Title IX is the U.S. federal law that protects students against sexual violence and
harassment. Title IX requires colleges and universities to respond to the various
needs of survivors after sexual violence or harassment occurs. These needs may include
academic, housing, and employment accommodations, as well as counseling and other
support services. Campuses must have grievance procedures in place for survivors to
take disciplinary action against their assailants.

Dear Colleague Letter (April 2011 – Title IX)

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of the Education (ED) issued
the Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) “to explain that the requirements of Title IX cover
sexual violence and to remind schools of their responsibilities to take immediate
and effective steps to respond to sexual violence in accordance with the requirements
of Title IX.”

The OCR issued this Dear Colleague Letter to explain that retaliation is prohibited
by federal law. “Retaliation” refers to negative action taken against an individual
who brought concerns to a school’s attention, made complaints, testified, or participated
in any manner in an OCR investigation concerning violations of Federal civil rights
laws, including Title IX. An example of retaliation would be a student receiving a
lower grade in a class after reporting a professor’s sexual misconduct. The basic
principles of retaliation are explained in the letter, as well as the OCR’s methods
of enforcing this prohibition.